Thirty-three years ago on the third Sunday of Advent I was confirmed in the Christian faith. It was the Sunday of Joy and I fully expected it to be joyful. It was not. It was a day filled with disappointment and frustration from start to finish. I was 15 years old, a perfectionist, a rule-follower, … Read More
Up until this year, I’d really thought of Advent as an opportunity to do some spiritual housekeeping. It was a season to clean out the clutter and center on joy and love once more. In many ways, it was like Lent without the intense focus on sin, repentance, and forgiveness. And it was deeply personal. … Read More
Come, let us pray for faithful people everywhere. (people may silently or quietly voice their prayers) Loving Creator, you are the Alpha and Omega of all that is. The names we have for you are more numerous than we like to admit. The theologies we have constructed cannot define or contain you. Remind us that … Read More
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. I don’t know about you, but I am appalled by the news of churches burning in St. Louis. Six black churches in a week and mainstream media has barely picked up the story! Why is it that when an oppressed people cries for justice … Read More
Many years ago while I was serving my first church as associate pastor, I horrified two elderly women one afternoon. It was a late summer or early fall day and I happened to be the only one in the office when these ladies stopped by. I went to open the door and they noticed my … Read More
Come, let us pray for the Church throughout the world. (silence or a time for people to quietly give voice to their concerns) Eternal God, “Teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” Too often we complain like Job when suffering is unfair while at the same time turning from … Read More
When I was in fourth or fifth grade I read every myth I could get my hands on. It didn’t matter what culture they came from, Native American, Celtic, Greek, Roman, Chinese, I read all that I could find. I loved these stories for the imaginative way they explained how some things came to be. … Read More
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, then you know that I seldom post on anything not related to the lectionary. This week I am at the Widening the Welcome Conference which is sponsored by the Disabilities Ministry and the Mental Health Network of the United Church of Christ. The goal of this … Read More
Some weeks come with their very own theme. I’m not sure exactly how it happens, but this week I’ve had many conversations about seeing the “other.” The conversations were with colleagues, parishioners, friends, and my wife. The specific topics included systemic racism, rights for undocumented immigrants, refugees, politics, and even self-hatred. Seeing, recognizing, acknowledging the … Read More
After a short though very intense week, I find myself asking if it isn’t too late to go back to the weeks of “bread?” I know clergy often find those weeks to be repetitive and, therefore, challenging. However, these tense encounters with Jesus in Mark’s gospel might cause discomfort more than challenge. Last week was … Read More